The Client
Metlifecare is one of New Zealand’s largest retirement village providers. With a commitment to creating vibrant and fulfilling lifestyles for retirees, Metlifecare operates 32 retirement villages across the North Island of New Zealand and is a trusted choice for New Zealanders seeking retirement living options.
The Brief & Plan
Manage a complex site migration and grow overall organic visibility
In September 2022, Metlifecare embarked on a full site migration. The challenge was to transition their six existing websites to a new platform while ensuring that traffic and rankings improved with the revamped site. Our SEO team at D3 was consulted throughout this change to provide strategic guidance and ensure a successful migration.
- Manage the migration to a new CMS
- Ensure rankings improved for retirement village
- Drive more traffic & leads
The Strategy
D3 implemented a comprehensive strategy to address the complexities of the site migration. Here are the key steps taken:
Thorough Planning Before the migration, D3 worked closely with Metlifecare to define measurable objectives and goals. A budget and timeline were established, and a migration team was assembled.
Mapping & Redirects D3 created a meticulous 301 redirect plan, mapping existing content to the new site accurately. This ensured that users and search engines seamlessly transitioned to the new URLs.
Testing and Tracking In a closed environment, D3 tested redirects and ensured that pages loaded as expected. They also set up tracking mechanisms to monitor the impact of the migration.
The Results
Successful migration and a boost in organic visibility
Despite the common belief that site migrations lead to a loss in traffic and rankings, Metlifecare’s migration was a success, and the results were impressive.
By following a well-planned strategy and executing each step meticulously, we ensured that Metlifecare's site not only avoided losses but also achieved growth. We did this by systematically working through the site optimising pages which drove significant ranking improvements for non-branded search terms like ‘retirement homes’ & ‘retirement villages’ that moved onto page 1.
Metlifecare’s case study serves as a testament to the importance of strategic planning, expert execution, and continuous monitoring during site migrations.
- Average Position improved by 64%.
- Average sessions increased 17%.
- Total Clicks up 16%.
- 13 New Non-branded Search Terms on Page One.
"We partnered with D3 when we embarked on a website migration project. This task was quite daunting, as we had never previously implemented a clear SEO strategy. However, D3 proved to be proactive, professional, and highly knowledgeable, allowing us to shift our focus to other essential aspects, with the assurance that our SEO work was being capably handled."
Metlifecare
How Can D3 Help You?
If you’re considering a site migration for your business, you can trust us. Our experienced team specialises in SEO, technical optimisation, and strategic planning. Here’s how we can assist you:
- Technical Expertise Our team will handle the technical aspects, including URL mapping, redirects, and performance monitoring.
- Content Guidance We’ll work with your content team to ensure a seamless transition and optimise existing content.
- Results-Driven Approach Just like Metlifecare, we focus on achieving positive outcomes. Our goal is to improve your rankings, traffic, and overall online presence.
